Christopher



(No' Model.)

o. G. SHELBY.

sTocKING SPPORTBR. N0.267,943. Patentedlvov. 21,1882,

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N. Pains, Pncmumugnpnnr. washing D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER O. SHELBY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STOCKlNG-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,943, dated November 21, 1882.

Application tiled August 11, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it mayl concern: 4

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER C SHEL- BY, of New York city, county, and State,

have invented certain new anduseful-Improve-pY ments in Stocking-Supporters; arfd Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, geference being `had to the accompanying drawingspforming iss `part of this specification, in whi Figure 1 is a view of a stocking-supporter constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the inner part .of the clasp. Fig. 3 is a view of the outer part of the clasp. Fig`.`4 is a sectional view taken on the line w, Fig. 1 and Figs. 5 and are views of modiiied forms of the clasp.

Similar letters o' reference in the several figures denote the same parts.

My invention `relates to` improvements in stocking-supporters; and it consists in a novel form of clasp employed in connection therewith, constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the main webbing of the supporter, preferably elastic webbing, and having secured to its upper end a metallic loop, B,by which to secure the supporter to a button fastened at or near the waist of the wearer, and having preferably connected to its lower end a buckle, C,

`that can be adjusted up and down when desired.

Suspended from the buckle is the webbing D, to the extremities of which are secured the clasps, each consisting of an inner part, E, having a slot, c, for securing the end of the webbing, and a tongue, e', and an outer plate, F, havingaslot, f, for the attachment of the webbing,and an opening, f', for the reception ofthe tongue c', as will be presently explained.

Thelwebbing D preferably consists of two pieces passed through the loop of the buckle, and connected toeach other by stitching or rivets at the points g, so as to leave at each extremity two pieces, d done for the attachment of the inner part, E, of the clasp and the other for the attachment of the outer part, F, of the same. rlhis mode of connection enables the webbing to slide freely through the loop of the buckle, and prevents any undue strain upon either of the clasps when the wearer stoops over or otherwise changes position.

The tongue e of the part E ot' the clasp has a narrow neck portion, h, that projects at right angles, or nearly so, to the slotted portion e, and

at the termination of such neck portion broad- E is inserted between the stocking and the leg ot' the wearer, and the part F is brought up and the tongue of the part E is pressed through the opening in the part F, carrying with it a portion of the stocking. A slight tension being then put upon the webbing, the stockingis securely held by the clasp, and is not at all liable to accidental displacement, nor will it tear or deface the material of the stocking.

- This manner of connecting the supporter to the stocking dispenses with thev necessity of sewing buttons on the stocking, and thus saves the wearer much trouble and annoyance.

I preferably strike up each portion of the clasp from a single plate of metal in the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3; but they'may beformed of plate metal in the design shown in Fig. 5, or they may be formedV of wire, as shown in Fig. 6.

I am aware that prior to my present invention astocking-supporter clasp hasbeen constructed of an outer plate secured to one piece of webbing, and having an elongated slot widest at `the top and narrowest at the bottom, and an inner button or stud secured to another piece of webbing and hanging normally opposite the narrow portion of the slot ot" the outer plate; but myinvention is distinguished from this prior device, in that the opening in the outer plate is of triangular form,widest at the bottom, and the inner part of the clasp consists of a peculiarly-curved headed hook,which normally hangs directly oppositethe opening in the outer plate. With the prior device to fasten the stocking the inner buttonorstud is inserted behind the stocking and the outer plate is drawn down until the wide part of the slot comes opposite the loop, when the stud is" entered and the outer plate then drawn up to complete the fastenin g. With my device, however, to secure the stocking, the peculiarly IOO shaped headed hook is placed behind the stockhaving the trian gularly shaped openin g j", ing and slightly turned out and made to enter widest at its bottom, and the portion E, havthe slot in the outer plate, located exactly oping the outwardly-bent narrow neck h and the posite it, and then turned up to complete the backwardly-bent enlarged head z', both said 5 fastening, no pulling down or up of the supparts (io-operating to clasp and hold a fabric 15 porting-Webbings being required. between them, substantially as described.

Having thus described niyinvention,Iclaim CHRISTOPHER C. SHELBY. as new- Witnesses:

They herein described stocking-supporter M. M. VAIL, ro clasps, each consisting of the outer portion, F, I JAMES B. GALLAGHER. 

